In the post-internet world, users increasingly rely on different electronic channels for communication. For example, users and customers accessing resources of an enterprise system often transition between devices to access enterprise resources, such as applications and data intakes, whereby the user or customer switches between a first mobile device, a second mobile device, a desktop computer, and/or a personal computer (e.g., workstation or laptop computer). Tasks that are started on one device can be completed on a different device. But since the increase on reliance on multi-channel access, many technical challenges have been identified. For instance, users that begin to enter data on a first device cannot simply continue a work process they already started on the first device using a different device, mostly due to differences in the operational and/or technological characteristics between devices. A user may have different devices, such as a mobile phone and a desktop computer, each having different operating systems, such as Apple iOS® and Microsoft Windows®, or the devices may have different display sizes (e.g., mobile phone screen, desktop monitor) and different input devices (e.g., touchscreen inputs, microphone, mouse, keyboard). To permit access to from the various devices, a variety of channels are established to service the disparate devices. However, the components of these channels are usually configured and/or programmed to service particular devices or programs. The functionality of a device being used may behave differently depending upon the input channel or device the user is using to access the work flow or functionality (e.g., web-based portal, mobile web-portal, mobile application). The backend processes for each type of device and channel are typically designed to be device and/or channel specific, so seamlessly switching between platforms is not always practical.
Conventional systems may provide work flow applications to customers through a variety of channels accessible to particular devices (e.g., mobile devices, desktops, laptops, tablets) and software. These multiple channels provide customers with the flexibility of accessing work flow processes, such as applying for loans, purchasing different services, or opening accounts, through the various channels. In many cases, customers may want to start a multi-step process in one channel (e.g., home computer and web browser) and then continue the process using a different channel (e.g., smartphone and mobile application). Although conventional systems and methods might allow customers to access processes through various different channels, customers using conventional systems and methods are frequently unable to continue the same ongoing process-instance, continuing from the same process step where the customer switched from one device and channel to the next. Additionally, the user's experience may be significantly different between devices or channels. This is often because host servers typically execute different, distinct processes that are custom tailored for each respective device or channel, making it difficult (if not infeasible) to continue an ongoing process when a user changes the device and/or channel. Not only does this make it difficult to continue the same process between devices, but it often requires engineers and developers to generate or modify processes for each channel or device implementation for a particular process when the process is changed or otherwise updated.
Moreover, conventional systems and methods often host or otherwise execute software applications that provide streamlined processes to simplify customer interaction (e.g., populate data fields with inputs from previously supplied data). These processes may be insufficient for service representatives' needs. What is needed therefore is the capability for user or representative to start a streamlined process and continue it in a full-feature process (i.e., without limiting the features available to the user or representative workstation due to the need to tailor a process for multi-channel interactions). Furthermore, it may be costly and difficult to deliver and support enterprise applications on each of the channels and devices because of the demands associated with tailoring or otherwise developing solutions for facilitating multi-channel access to particular processes; particularly, when the enterprise applications are not configured natively for interoperability with other applications or the variety of possible channels and devices. Costs can also mount as additional adaptations or modifications are required when the system or aspects of the system are upgraded. Furthermore, there may be instances where a customer service representative working at a workstation needs to interface with a user on a mobile device. The representative may need to simulate the user's different channel experience so they can understand what the user is going through and see how the user is viewing the information. Therefore a need exists to create a flexible work flow that is device independent.